Only on FOX6: Is sharing a bed with your infant right or wrong?

by Chante
(IN)

http://www.fox6now.com/news/witi-100503-bed-sharing,0,7099533.story

This story is the most balanced piece of reporting I've seen in a LONG time. There are so many perspectives to take from what they said.

First of all, why is this mother not in trouble with child protection services. These are the people CPS should be going after and not the other, responsible co-sleeping or even home schooling families. Some body doesn't seem to be doing their job.

The first woman interviewed makes a god point about babies remembering to breathe. I remember a frantic call to my pediatrician when my first baby's breathing was irregular. She assured me it was normal, but babies do sometimes forget to breathe or just stop breathing. That's what SIDS is all about. When babies sleep with adults their breathing pattern changes to fit the adult they're sleeping with. That's how co-sleeping is safer for babies.

There seems to be two sides to co-sleeping. Those that are deeply aware of their babies (which makes them not roll over on their children or get so caught up in sleep that they can't hear their babies are in distress) and those that aren't. Most of the deeply aware parents are those who are fighting for co-sleeping to be recognized as a safe practice. Those that have to handle the sad stories that happen when non-aware people kill their babies are screaming that co-sleeping is NOT safe. It reminds me of gun law debates.

I'm so glad Dr. McKenna was given ample time to set the records straight in this story. Natural mothers who are trying to do right by their infants are sometimes portrayed as the villains. Sadly this is something we have to get used to, but shouldn't stop fighting against.


It's very interesting that the numbers of infant deaths due to adults sleeping with their babies are higher for African-American babies. It's almost the same disparity that you see in maternal childbirth deaths in a hospital.